Now, Stipe is finally getting the recognition he never craved, but knew he deserved. He just coached opposite 205-lb. champ Daniel Cormier on The Ultimate Fighter, and is featured in a Modelo ad highlighting his working-class roots. Thrust into the limelight of a superfight with the light heavyweight champion, on the most packed card of the year, Miocic is content with the state of relations between himself and his promoter. Via MMAFighting.com:

“Dana and I, we talked that stuff out and it worked out great,” Miocic told reporters Monday. When asked if the Cormier fight represents the biggest payday of his career, he added “100 percent.”

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Miocic blames the sale and subsequent ownership transition of the company for past slights, saying in his hoarse but happy growl that he basically got neglected in the shuffle.

“A lot has changed,” Miocic said. “I think it had a lot to do with the change in the company too, they were stuck in their transition. I’m just, I was stuck when they sold the company, they were looking for what’s good for them, but I understand that. They spent a lot of money, they spent four billion dollars it’s not like ‘ahh, sure guys.’ it’s a little bit different than that. They made it right and it was all good.”